Electric terminal and conductor mounting



Feb. 5, 1952 v A. R. LlACl 2,584,476

ELECTRIC TERMINAL AND CONDUCTOR MOUNTING Filed May 17, 1949 flkRkliiaci INVENTOR 1 I BY /1 I I I 1 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 5, 1952 U ITED STATES goF s ELECTRIC TERMINAL AND, o'oNn'Uc'roR MoUN'rmc Angelo R. Liaci, West Long' Branch, J. a I Application May 17, 1949, Serial No. 93,732

cord which is inserted in the plug, will contact 7 plates which will move to release the spring contact arms for engagement with the electric wires of the electric cord. 1

Another important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the spring contact arms may be manually disengaged from the cord, to permit the cord to be readily and easily removed from the plug.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is an elevational view of an electric snap plug constructed in accordance with the invention, one of the side sections of the plug having been broken away illustrating the interior of the plug and contact arms.

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view of the plug.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a disconnected perspective view illustrating a spring contact arm together with the contact plate and plate associated therewith.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the body portion of the plug comprises separable sections 5 and 6, the sections having their inner surfaces cut away providing recesses which when the sections are positioned together, provide a compartment in which the movable contact arms and control mechanism, are mounted.

The inner ends of the cut out portions are curved as at 1 and accommodate the curved portions 8 of the contact arms 9, which contact arms include leg portions II) that fit against the outer walls of the recess of the plug in which the arms are positioned, holding the arms in place.

These leg portions m are formed with curved ends II that have dovetail-shaped extensions I2 that fit in dovetailed recesses [3 of the contact 1 Claim. (01. us-361) fingers 14 providing a circuit between the 1a portions 10 and contact fingers l4.

The reference character 15 indicates plates, there being a plate used in connection with each of the contact arms 9... These plates are formed withnotch'es l6 extending inwardly from one side'edge thereof, andopenings l1 formed in; termediate the side edges of the plates. These notches l6 fit over'the leg portions I0 offthe contact arms and cooperate with the notches l8 extending inwardly from one edge of ,each con,-

tact leg, whereby the plates are secured tov the .contact arm leg portions ID. The openings 11,

accommodate the tongues IQ of the contact arms 9 in such a way that the plates [5 may pivot on the tongues, from the full line positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing to the dotted line positions.

Contact prongs indicated by the reference character 20 are stamped from the contact arms 9 and extend therefrom, the contact prongs being directed towards the center of the body portion of the plug.

As shown, portions of the plates provide supports 2| on which the coiled springs 22 rest, the coiled springs being disposed within recesses formed within the sections of the plug, with one of their respective ends fitted against the end of the recess in which it is positioned. Thus it will be seen that due to the action of the coiled springs 22, the springs exert a pressure against the rear ends of the plates to move them from the dotted line positions as shown by Fig. 1, to the full line positions as shown by Fig. 1, that is when the contact arms 9 have been moved inwardly after disengagementfrom the plates IS. The tongues l9 fitted within the openings ll, normally hold the contact arms in a predetermined set position, and because of the lengths of the plates, they lie directly in the path of travel of a cord which is extended into one end of the plug, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

It will of course be understood that the electric cord used with the fitting is of the type embodying parallel conductor wires.

Extending from one edge of each of the contact arms 9, is a pin 23, the pins extending through elongated openings formed in the sections of the plug, the pins being provided with knobs 24 on their outer ends to be engaged by the fingers of the operator in moving the contact arms to their set positions.

In operation, assuming that the contact arms are in the positions as shown in full lines in Fig.

arms to-move the arms inwardlysnapping the prongs -20, into insulation of theelectric wire or cord to contact the wires thereof, completing a circuit.

Should it be desired to release the wire, it is only necessary to move the knobs 2'4 outwar-dlyf whereupon the prongs 20 will become disengaged from the electric cord, and since the-plates are forced against the free ends of the contact arms. by the action of the springs 22, it is obvious that when the tongues 19 fall opposite to theopenings I! of the plates, they will snap into the openings. holding the plates in a set position as shown in fu'll'lines in Fig. 1, ready for actuation to complete a circuit with an electric cord forced into one end of the plug, as previously described.

From the foregoing. it is believed that due to the construction shownand described, the operation and'constmction of the electric plug will be clearly understood, and that further description as to the operation and utility of the plug is unnecessary. 7

Havin thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In an electrical fitting, a body havin a central longitudinal passageway extending inwardly from one end thereof, into which an electric cord is inserted, contact fingers extending into said body from the opposite end thereof, a pair of spaced yieldable contact arms mounted within the body at opposite sides of said longitudinal passageways and biased toward each .other, tongues extending from the ends of said contact arms s'aid contact arms including le portions in circuit-with said contact fingers, plates, having openings, pivot-ally connected with said leg portions, the tongues of said contact arms being removably held within the openings of said plates, said plates normally extending across said passageway and moved by the electric cord inserted in the passageway, whereby said plates are disengaged from said contact arms, releasing; the

cont-act arms for movement towards each other, and contact prongs extending inwardly from said contact arms adapted to pierce the electric cord extending through the passageway, completing a circuit with the cord as the contact arms move towards the electric cord. 7 v ANGELO R. LIACI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

